Electrical connector



Nov. 20, 1945. s. B. BE NANDER ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed June 22, 1944 Inventor:

e V. w W a n nwr m EMA w 5 WW V/ b Patented Nov. 20, 1945 GeorgeEBenandenOaklawmlLLasaisnorto Monowatt Electric Corporation, a corpora of Connecticut Application June 22, 1944, Serial No. 541,487

4 Claims. (Cl. 173-363) The present invention relates to electrical connectors comprising an insulating base made of plastic material such as a phenolic condensation product and contact means detachably secured to the base. More particularly the invention reiates to connectors of the kind disclosed in the copendlng application 'ot'stanislas Picard, Serial No. 494,218, filed July 10, 1943. and assigned to the same assignee as the present application.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved electrical connectorot the type aforementioned whereby female contacts may be' readily removed from the base for the purpose of soldering the contacts to the wires of electrical cables while removed from the base to avoid burning or charring of the base material.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved bayonet type locking means for detachably securing a female contact on the base i an an openingiil for receiving a wire or cable 2i and for producing some tension on the female contact to assure firm electrical connection or the female contact with a male contact when connected thereto.

This is accomplished in accordance with my invention by the provision of a bayonet locking ring with a cylindricalslotted extension for sur-' withaborelandaloweropeninglofasmaller Mile! Olllder l therewith. An annular flange I is formed near theuppercndofthebase. 'I'hisflangehasan axial slot I and two dovetailed slots I located on top I, both being made of plastic anouter flange t. with two dovetailed recesses A cenor the base.

II and II project into the upper of a dovetailed hasaringportionorasesment seemed thereto by means II which Two circumferentlally ll fltting into a. groove ll formed between the shoulders 5 and I of the base and the top respectively. ovetailed projections is on the segment is are positioned in the dovetailed slots or recessesland ll oithebaseandthetopthus securely connecting the top to the base. when thus connected the axial grooves B and II are aligned and serve to position the base in a housing as shown and described in the aforementioned application.

The structure comprising clamp II for fastening together base [and top 1 is not claimed herein, it being claimed in my application Serial No. 615,135, filed September 8, 1945, which application is a division of my application Serial No. 480,348, flied March 24, 1943.

In the present example the base has only a single bore and serves to support a sinale'female contact is. An upper portion of the contact has which may be securely connected to the contact by solder. The contact is of large diameter, re-

quiring a substantial amount of solder for connection to the cable 2|. This connection theremoved from the base to preclude charring thereor by the heat dissipated during the soldering operation. The lower portion of the female contact is in the form of a hollow cylinder with a 30 plurality of circumferentially spaced axial slots 22. The innerdiameter ol the slottedcylinder part is usually slightly smaller than the diameter of the male pin to be assembled therewith to assure a firm electrical connection. An intermediate portion or the contact has a lateralproiection 23. The contact is connected to the base and top by means-cf a ombined locking and tension device 24 detachably secured to the base and top and forming a self-locking bayonet connection with the female contact. The locking and tension device 24 comprises an upper split ring or bayonet connecting and locking means II and a lower split cylinder or tension means 26 intezrally connected with the split ring by an extension :1 at the upperend or the plit cylinder.

The device'is made from'suitable sheet metal byaforming and punchingprocess. Therinall has a bayonet slot 28 formed in a vertical edae adjacent the split. The other edge 2| adjacent the split projects towards and slightly into the bayonet slot 28. The upper'edse or the ring 28 is provided with three projections", 8i and 82. 0! which the latter extends axially beyond the others and substantially abovethetop when as-'' serve to locate the device 24 circumferentially in the top. They are located on opposite sides of the ledge l4. In other words, the ledge I4 fits in the recess defined between adjacent edges of projections 39 and'3l. The extension 3| forms a snug fit with the recess formed between the ledges l3 and I4. When assembled the shoulders formed at the inner ends of the ledges l3 and I4 engage the upper cylindrical edge of the ring between the extensions 38, 3|. and 32.

During assembly the device 24 is inserted into the base I. Thereupon the top 8 is inserted into the upper end of the device 24 and the device 24 is rotated in the base until the dovetailed recesses I and II are in alignment, whereupon the top is locked to the base by means of the clamp I5. In order to assemble the female contact IS on the base and the device 24 the contact is inserted into the bore of the device 25 with the projection 23 located between the projections 39 and 25. The projection 39 has a slanted edge 33 facing an axialedge of the projection 32. Upon axial pressure on*the contact the lateral projection 23 thereof forces the end portion of the ring with the edge 29 downward towards the split cylinder 26, thus permitting the projection 23 to enter the bayonet slot 28. The contact after having been forced into the device 24 is rotated into the bayonet slot 28 and as the projection 23 moves towards its end position in the slot 28 the other end portion of the ring with the edge 29 snaps back and the edge portion 29 locks the projection- 23 in the slot 28. In order to remove the contact from the base the locking edge 29 must first be forced downward towards the split cylinder 28 to open the entrance and exit of the bayonet slot 28. This is accomplished by forcing the extension 32 axially downward towards the cylinder 28 by means of a suitable tool such as a screwdriver. The split cylinder 26 or tension means has an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the female contact, thus exerting a spring pressure or tension on the slotted cylindrical portion of the latter. Such tension is transmitted to the male contact when inserted into the female contact, thereby producing a firm electrical connection between the contacts.

Having described the method of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An electrical connector comprising an insulating base having an opening, a locking device detachably secured to the opening and having a bayonet slot, a tubular, axially split cylindrical contact having a lateral projection located in the slot and forming a bayonet connection therewith, and an axially extending split cylinder forming an extension of the locking device and having an internal diameter less than that of said contact for applying tension to said contact.

2. An electrical connector comprising an insulating base having an opening, a locking device detachably secured to the base in said opening and having a bayonet slot, a cylindrical female contact having a lateral projection located in the slot and forming a bayonet connection therewith. means on said device for locking the projections in the slots, the female contact having a cylindrical portion with a plurality of axial slots, and means for applying tension to the slotted portion of the contact comprising a split cylinder integrally united with the locking device.

3.An electrical connector comprising an insulating base having an opening, a locking device secured to the opening and having a bayonet slot, a female contact havinga lateral projection locatcd in the'slot and forming a bayonet connection therewith, means on said device for locking the projection in the slot, other means on the device for actuating the locking means to permit assembly and dismantling of the contact and the device, said contact having a cylindrical slotted end portion, and means for applying tension to the slotted end portion consisting of a split cylinder connected at one end to the locking device.

4. A device for forming a bayonet connection with a cylindrical member having a lateral projection and for applying lateral tension to a slotted hollow portion of such member comprising a split ring having an upperv and lower spaced vertical edge portions, a bayonet slot having an entrance through one of the vertical edge portions, the other vertical edge portion being closely spaced with said entrance, an axial projection formed on the upper edge portion for forcing the last mentioned vertical edge portion away from the entrance, and a split cylinder constituting a tension means integrally united with the lower edge portion.

GEORGE B. BENANDER. 

